Shoe



M. WINKEL, 2,188,168

SHOE

Filed Sept. 3, 1958 Snvcntor Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 53 Mabel wake, :New York, N. Y.

Application September 3, 1938, Serial No. 228,360

1 Claim. (01. 36-45) This invention relates to shoes. v One objectof the invention is to provide a shoe having an outer layer of shoe upper material such as leather, which is normally substantially in+ elastic, but which is rendered elastic in accordance with the present invention whereby the shoe upper is elastic in predetermined portions thereof for yieldable engagement with the wearers foot. Another object of the invention is to provide a low shoe having a relatively high instep portion and which nevertheless can be'put on and taken off the wearers' footwithout the provision of releasable fasteningmeans. In other words, in accordan'c'e' with this object of the invention, the shoe has a forward upper portion which is substantially higher thanthat of the ordinary pump and yet requires no laces, buttons, buckles or other releasablefastenin'g devices to permit the foot opening to be enlarged for the insertion and re- -moval of the wearers foot, the enlargement of the foot opening being accomplished by the 'provision of the elastic shoe upper material which can stretch and contract automatically in response to thepressure' exerted thereon when the shoe is being placed on and removed from the wearerfs foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe'in whichthe upper at the edge of the foot opening is elastic 'forj closely conforming to the 801'lwearers foot at the foot opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a allyto provide a shoe of improved comfort and appearance.

The above objects of the invention and other lo j'objects which might-hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: 45 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe embodying the present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inside view of the shoe upper adjacent the front edge of the foot opening; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of 50 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the shoe l0 embodying the present invention is 55 here shown as a lady's low shoe, but it will be understood as the description proceeds that the invention may be embodiedin shoes of other types as well as in mens shoes. Said shoe comprises an upper l2, a sole l4, and a heel l6 assembled to-' gether in any suitable way in accordance with 5 any of the well known processes of making shoes. Preferably, however, the shoe of the present invention is made in accordance with any of th well known processes of making cemented shoe.

The shoe upper l2 comprises two appropriately 10':

shaped parts of shoe upper material, preferably leather which is normally inelastic, stitched at the heel of the shoe by a rear seam l8 and stitched together at the front of the shoe along a longitudinal median line extending from the front edge 15 of the foot opening tothe tip of the shoe, the securement'of said parts of the upper at the front of the shoe comprising inner and outer strips 2!] and 22, respectively, of leather or other suitable material securedto the adjacent edges of the parts of the shoe upper byspacedlines of stitching 24. As thus constructed each part of the upper just referredto comprises a forward portion or vamp 26 anda rear'portion or quarter 28, the vamp and quarter portions in each part of the shoe being preferably in" integral relation, although it is within the'scopefof the present invention to provide initially separate vamp and quarter sections suitably stitched together at their adjacent edges.

A dominant feature of the present invention 30 resides in theconstruction of the material of the vamp portions 26'whereby said material is elastic, although comprising as an outer layer normally inelastic material such as ordinary shoe upper leather. outer layer3ll of shoe upper leather and an inner layer or lining -32 of elastic sheet material, preferably woven elastic fabric. Said fabric may be of the type known as Lastex and may comprise inelastic yarn woven with elastic or rubber containing yarn whereby said fabric is elastic in a direction transversely of the threads composed of inelastic yarn, as indicated by the arrows 34 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Said leather and lining layers 30 and 32 are preferably co-extensive and are adhesively united with each other throughout their contiguous surfaces. Leather layer 30 of each vamp portion 26 is provided with a plurality of slits 36 arranged in spaced rows, with the slits in adjacent rows disposed in staggered relation. It will be observed that in each row there are a plurality of relatively short slits which are spaced from each other. As the lining 32 is elastic in a direction transversely of the direction of the slits in leather layer 30, it is apparent that said leather Each vamp portion 26 comprises an 359 layer can stretch and contract together with its lining layer and that by reason of the provision of the multiplicity of slits in such leather layer and because of the staggered relation of said slits, said leather layer can stretch and contract substantially uniformly throughout the extent thereof substantially in all directions except along the line in which each row of slits extend.

It will be observed that vamp portions 26 extend to and define the edge of the foot opening at the front and forward side portions of the shoe and that the slits in layer 30 are positioned in the edge portion of the upper at the foot opening' so that the marginal edge portions of the upper at said foot opening in vamp portions 26 i are elastic and can stretch and, contract for yieldable engagement with the wearer's foot.

The upper edge portions 38 of eac-h'part of the shoe upper is folded inwardly for the fullextent thereof in the vamp and quarter portions 26 and 28. A strip of elastic tape 46 isstitched to the infolded edge portion 38 of vamp portions 26 of the upper for reinforcing and finishing said upper edge portions 38 atthe forward part of the shoe at the foot opening, said finishing tapes 40 being-elastic so that said edge portions 38 can stretch and contract. Elastic tape 40 is secured to marginal portions 38 -of vamp portions 26 by a line of zig zag stitching-42. which permits the parts to stretch and contract.

The quarter portions 28 of the shoe upper are preferably inelastic. Each of said quarter portions 28 includes an outer .layer 44-=of leather which, as described above, is integral with theleather layer of vamp 26 at the same'side of the shoe. Each of said quarter portions also 00111,.

prises a leather lining 46 and a doubler lining-48. The forward edges of. said linings aresecured to the outer layer of the shoe upper by a line of stitching 50 which continuesat the upper-edge:

of the shoe in the counter-portion thereof as indicated at 52.

nates at its rear edge 56 a short distance rearof each quarter portion of theshoe.

Figs. 3 and l, the inwardly folded edge portion 38 of the outer layer of the upper is folded over .elastic lining 32 and doubler 48.

Thus, it is seen that the shoe'having the upper constructed as herein shown or described.

is well adapted to accomplish theseveral objects of the present invention. It will be observed that the vamp portions of the shoe upper are elastic pearance to the shoe.

Said stitching 52 secures to gether the upper edge portions of the outer leatheer layer 44 the lining 46, and the doubler 48 as- -well as a reinforcing strip- 54 which is positioned between the inturned folded portion 38 of the outer layer of the upper and the lining 46; It will be observed that the elastic liningy32 term-i--.

so that the foot opening can stretch and contract whereby the edge of the upper at the foot opening can appropriately and comfortably fit the wearers foot. Although in the shoe here shown by way of illustration, the instep portion thereof is substantially higher than the instep of a shoe of the vamp type, nevertheless releasable laces, buckles, straps, or other releasable fastening elements are unnecessary. It will be notedalso thatJthe provision ofthe slitsin the shoe upper leather besides permitting said leather to stretch and contract together with the elastic lining impart a pleasing ornamental ap- In this connection it will be understood that instead of ordinary slits, as

illustrated, narrow cut-outs of any desirable and elastic lining32 is attached to the leather layer 30 in, unstretchedcondition, as the stretchability of the leather layer 30 is derived from the pro vision of the slits therein. Accordingly, it will be understood that when the leather layer is stretched, as when theshoe is on-the wearers foot, the edgesof each slit aremoved slightly apart so thatthe openings constituted by said.

slits are somewhat widened; and the edges of the leather'at the slits are more fully exposed to; View. The leather in this-stretched condition 3' has 'a pleasing appearance whichadds considerably to thevalueof the invention in respect to the elastic features of the shoeupper ma- It will he understood that while I have. shown, and described the preferred embodiment terial.

of my invention, the latter may beembodied otherwisethan as here shown and-also it will be understoodythat in the illustrated. embodiment certain changes in the construction'and arrange- 1 ment of parts may be made without departing from the invention as defined bythe appended claim. v

Having. thus described my invention,-,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a shoe, an upper having, a vamp-comprising a lining of elastic fabric and an outermost layer of normally inelastic shoe upper material,

posed layerhaving a multiplicity-of relatively short slits formed therein and arranged in a by forming with the latter composite elastic shoe such as leather, secured to said lining, said ,ex-f' upper material, said vamp of composite elasticshoe upper material extending along the sides of the shoe from the bottom of the shoe to the edge of the upper at thefoot opening whereby to permit-expansion and contraction of the upper in the vamp portion thereof and at the front and sides of the foot opening, and quarter sections of inelastic shoe upper material joined to said vamp.

= i MABEL WINKEL- 

